Actually I was only expecting to store them for a week, not a month. I'd go crazy if my garden wasn't ready for a whole month!! I did check with the vendor and they actually suggested that I put them into my basement (it's a circa-1700s farmhouse, so it was actually built as a root cellar). Don't know why this didn't occur to me in the first place, duh.

I leave mine until they turn brown, die and start to fall over. That way I know the crowns have gone dormant. Here that is usually late November - early December. Then I mow them off at the soil level and mulch the bed well till spring. Dave

newly planted asparagus goes thru a set back after being transplanted. You may get nothing this year. Mark the site and watch for it next spring.

No, it is not necessary. Some could even argue it doesn't provide any measurable benefit at all :-) But the crowns do need to be fully hydrated before planting so soaking for a few minutes in just plain water can be helpful if the roots look dry and brittle - they shouldn't. But you should spend some time on properly amending the planting area before planting. Cultivate well to a depth of 12" and work in a good amount of compost. Some dry organic, all purpose fertilizer won't hurt either (follow label directions for new plantings).